bisoprolol

[angelabooth]

What is the difference between bisoprolol fumarate and bisoprolol hemi fumarate

[douglas9401]

I found this on my travels Angela:

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1074980.html

[theprof]

First of all, if I can comment on the link provided by douglas9401, the two compounds are neither polymers nor isomers of each other.

With regard to the pharmacist, I'm afraid that he is just being overly cautious over the issue without foundation. Many drugs nowadays contain active ingredients that seem to change their name from package to package and pharmacists are trained to err on the cautious side. Invariably, discussion of possible allergies usually arises.

So what is the answer to your question? Well, I'm glad to tell you that both bisoprolol fumarate and bisoprolol hemifumarate are one and the same compound. It matters not a jot to you from a pharmacological standpoint if the package lists either of the compound as being the active ingredient. You will not encounter any allergies.

Without going to deeply into the way chemical compounds are named by IUPAC and similar organisations, what has happened is that chemists (not pharmacists) have looked closely at the structure of the compound and changed its name from fumarate to hemifumarate. These things happen time and time again and I should know, as I've sat on IUPAC committees making similar decisions for many years.

Although I'm a university Science Dean right now and hold a chair in Biochemistry, I have higher degrees in chemistry and organic chemistry and lectured on both before moving into biology and biochemistry.

You can see the name change on the following link under the heading "Free-text change information supplied by the pharmaceutical company" near the very bottom of the page:

http://www.medicines....g+Film+Coated+Tablets

[douglas9401]

In short then, nowt.

[theprof]

Exactly.